Wheel.



No. 353.767..v 4 PATENTBD MAY 14, 1.907.

w. R. CALDWELL.

WHEEL.

APPLloAToN FILED FEB. 20, 1907. v

l v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

rHs imams PETERS co.. wAsHmaraN, u. c.

WILLIAM R. CALDWELL, OF KEYSER, WEST VIRGINIA.

WHEEL.

Specification of Letters.Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

Application filed February 20, 1i907. Serial No. 358,362.

Tou/ZZ 'll/7mm, llt nutg/ concern:

Be it known Vthat I, WILLIAM It. CALDWELTJ, a citizen or" the UnitedStates, and a resident of Keyser, in the county of Mineral and State orWest Virginia, have invented an Improvement in Wheels, of which. thefollowing is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in power wheels, which may be utilized aspaddle wheels for boats, or as propelling wheels for aerial machines, orfor other purposes where power wheels may be desired; and the inventionconsists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts aswill be hereinafter described and claimed. In the drawings, Figure l isa perspective view partly broken away and parts being removed of a wheelembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view partly insection of one oi' the buckets removed. Fig. 8 is a detail transversesection showing one of the buckets and the parts directly associatedtherewith. Fig. 4l is a side view partly in section of one of thewheels. Fig. 5 is a face view partly Abroken away in section of one ofthe wheels; and Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the means forsupporting the track from the main frame.

In carrying out my invention, I construct the wheel with a body A,buckets B, tracks C l or closing the buckets, and a main frame Dsupporting-the body A and the tracks.

As shown, the body A is in the forni of a drum having a shai't Ajournaled in the main frame and end portions in the form of Wheelshaving rims A2 supported by spokes A3 from hubs on the shaft A. Theopposite rims A2 are connected by slats A4, said slats being recessed inthe rims so their outer faces are ilush with the peripheral surfaces oithe rims, as best shown in Fig. 1, and a covering A5 is provided for thedrum, said covering consisting preferably of duck, silk or othersuitable fabric. This construction forms a drum closed at its peripheryby a suitable covering, and in the rims A2 are formed at intervals,openings A, in which are pivoted the hinge bars E of the buckets.' Thehinge bars are pivoted at E a distance from their inner ends, the inwardextension beyond the pivots abutting the walls of the opening A andaiding in stopping the buckets in their open and closed positions.

The buckets are shown as consisting of the end plates B whose outeredges B2 are curved preferably on arcs of circles, and whose inner edgesB3 and Bl are also curved, the edges B4 on arcs of circles coincidingwith the curvature of the drum, so that when the buckets are closed asshown in full lines Fig. 1, the edges B4 of the end plates will coincidewith the outer face of the drum and lorm tight ioints at the ends of thebuckets. At their rear ends the end plates B2 are connected by crossbars .B5 extending between them, and having at their ends extensions B6forming bearings on which are mounted rollers B7 to engage the rails ortracks C, as will be understood from Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings.

As shown in Figs. l and 3, the cross bars B5 are arranged to bear in theclosed position of the buckets directly abovetheir respective slats A4,and the covering l) oi the buckets which may be duck, silk or othersuitable fabric or material, is drawn over the outer curved surface b ofthe end plates B, and thence around and under the cross bar B5, forminga packing between the said cross bar and the drum which is rendered moreeflective by the relative arrangement of the bars B5 and slats A4 so thesaid cross bars B5 Will bear directly above the slats A4 as illustratedin Figs. l and 3.

The openings A for the hinge bars are formed between the side faces ofthe rims A2, and the end plates B of the buckets B are provided in theirinner edges midway between their side faces with o enings in which aresecured the outer ends o the hinge plates E by means of screws, nails,or other similar fastenings, as illustrated at E2 in Figs. 2 and 3. Thehinge plates are thus securedrigidlyy to the end plates of the bucketsand are pivoted at F/ to the drum or body A so they may rock from theposition shown in full lines Fig. l, to the dotted line positionindicated in the same figure. l

It will be noticed that the buckets will operate uponl wind or water toserve as propellers when the said buckets are in the closed positionshown at the left in Fig. 4, and the Wheel is revolved in the directionof the arrow in said figure. In such position, the buckets will be heldiirmly by the operation of the rollers B7 within the rails C, said railsbeing flared at their ends C to guide the rollers beneath them, as willbe understood from Fig. 4'; After the rollers have passed the lower endsof the rails C, they will open to the position shown at the right inFig. 4, and thus offer no resistance to the air or water.

In supporting the rails, I prefer to employ IOO IlO

a railhcircular in cross section, and to pass vertically through it atsuitable intervals a bolt F extending through an eye at the inner end ofaibolt G and secured by nuts f above and below the bolt G, the bolt Gextending laterally through the frame D and held thereto by nuts d onthe inner and outer side of the. frame. This is a simple constructionfor conveniently securing the rails in the practical use of theinvention.

In Figs. 4 and. 5, I have shown the rail as arranged to bear against theouter sides of the rollers B7 for forcibly holding the buckets closed.It may in some instances be desired to arrange the rail to hold thebuckets open, in which construction the rollers would be adjusted tobear against the outer side of the rails instead of the inner sides, therails being correspondii'igly disposed.

l claim:

1. A power wheel comprising a main frame, a body journaled thereto andmade in the form of a drinn, having end portions provided with rimshaving in their outer faces openings midway between the inner and outersides of said rims, slats connecting the opposite end rims and Vfiush attheir outer faces with the peripheral surfaces of said rims, said bodyportion having a covering, buckets disposed around vthe drum and havingend plates provided with curved inner edges coinciding with thecurvature of the drum, a cross bar connecting the rear ends of said endplates, and provided with end extensions and rollers thereon, said endbars being arranged in the closed position of the buckets to overlie theslats of the drinn, a covering for the buckets extending along the outeredges of the end plates thereof, hinge bars secured at their outer endsto the end plates of the buckets and projecting and pivoted at theirinner ends within the openings in the end rims of the drinn, rails forengage- `ment by the rollers of the buckets, and means for supportingsaid rails from the main frame, substantially as set forth.

2. A power wheel consisting of a drum having a covering upon itsperipheral surconnecting the said end plates at their rear ends, railsextending along the wheel for a portion of its circumference, and meanson the buckets for engagement with said rails, substantially as setforth.

3. A power wheel comprising a body or drum, having a covering Yfor itsperipheral surface, buckets having end pla-i es provided with curvededges coinciding with the. pe

ripheral curvature of the drinn, and a eovering extending between thesaid end plat es at the outer edges thereof, and means hinging the saidbuckets to the drum at a peint midway between the ends of the endplates, silbstantially as set forth.

4. A power wheel comprising a drinn having end rims, slats extendingbetween the saine, and a covering, and buckets having end plates hingedbetween their ends to the drum, cross bars coni'iectiiig the oppositeend plates of the buckets, and arranged in the closed position of thebuckets to oveilie the respective slats of the drum, and a covering forthe buckets, substantially as set forth.

5. T he combination in a power wheel, with the main frame, the body ordrum j ournaled thereto, and the buckets having :i hinged connectionwith the drum and provided with laterally extending portions forengagement with 1ails, of rails in position for engagement by saidlaterally extending portions of the buckets, bolts extending from therails, laterally extending bolts having eyes receiving the rail bolts,nuts on the rail bolts and securing the saine in connection with thelateral bolts, and means securing said lateral bolts in connection withthe main frame, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

WILLIAM it. CALDWEI l i.

litnesses 1 lV. A. hinten, F. G. Davis.

